We have been concerned with what seems to be an increasing polarization in our local municipal and school board elections. More than just a difference in ideas and policies, there is a widening divide that includes rancorous and uncivil discourse, and suggests the existence of questionable ...
Technology is advancing rapidly, and we must act now to maintain our leadership in this field. From artificial intelligence (AI) research labs at BYU to startups in Silicon Slopes, Utah is helping lead the next wave of innovation. But, without a strong national tech strategy, we risk falling ...
We Utahns have a discourse problem. In twenty years as a writing instructor, I have seen our speech devolve from reason- and evidence-based persuasion to shouting and bullying. This trend has led increased acts of political violence—including the latest, Charlie Kirk’s murder on my ...
“If all mankind minus one, were of one opinion, and only one person were of the contrary opinion, mankind would be no more justified in silencing that one person, than he, if he had the power, would be justified in silencing mankind.” - John Stuart Mill, On Liberty In my earlier editorial ...
Thursday, September 11, 2025, marked the 24th anniversary of the 9-11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. The days after both came a resolve to bring those perpetrators accountable along with a unifying of our country perhaps not seen since the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. As a ...
Former Orem Mayor Dick Brunst recently published a guest opinion claiming credit for Orem’s new City Hall. As someone who is friends with the former mayor and served on the City Council during his administration, as well as under Mayor Dave Young, I feel compelled to respond with the facts. ...
I live a mile downhill from Buckley Draw. Amid wildfires and mudslides, the past couple of weeks have been frightening. On the evening the wildfire erupted, I joined the crowd of onlookers at Bicentennial Park. For hours, helicopters dropped graceful red plumes and thousands of gallons of ...
Heaven help me, I married a grammar guy. I did NOT know about this defect in his character before we were married. Luckily, he doesn’t go around correcting the grammar of strangers, so I can mostly overlook this fault. Also, thanks to my dad the linguist, my vocabulary is better than his, so ...
Is it possible that a group of neighbors can make a positive impact on the community? Can people come together, regardless of political party, religion, gender, age, or any number of other things, and find common ground? Can thousands of voters really change a city? In Orem, the answer is ...
When our daughter was young, we lived in Houston, Texas. Not wanting to lose touch with family and friends who all missed our little Catherine (not so much us, apparently), I created a website where I posted our doings that month. I didn’t consider the fact that there might be some things ...
